Valuable tractors stolen in second local farm raid

Tractors and machinery worth more than £40,000 have been stolen from a farm in Mullaghbawn, the Examiner has learned.

Sometime between 9.00pm Friday night and 9.00am on Saturday morning, the thieves struck at an isolated farm just off the Old Road.

Crashing through a gate to make their escape, they made off with two tractors, one of which had a diet feeder fitted to the rear. The tractors – a Ford New Holland 7740 and a New Holland TS115 – were stored in a shed on the farm and were removed through a back entrance of the property and on to the main Newry to Crossmaglen Road.

The owner has expressed his anger at the loss of his machinery and says it will severely impact on his daily work on the farm. He has appealed for anyone who may have witnessed his tractors being driven in the south Armagh area during the night of Friday/Saturday to come forward with information which may lead to their recovery.

Police have been informed of the theft and are investigating.

It is the latest in a spate of such thefts from farms in the south Armagh area. Just last week The Examiner reported how two valuable tractors were stolen from a farm near Silverbridge while an attempt was made to steal machinery from a farm in Crossmaglen.